オタクールチャーの坂Standing by the hill-side gazing over the Cool Culture of Otakuism!

Join Me, and Together, We Can Rule the Galaxy…

Before entering the Golden Screen Cinemas located at Gurney Plaza on my island to watch the much-anticipated Love Live! School Idol Movie, I’ve paid a visit to the nearby Toys ‘R’ Us store for a stroll before screening hours.

Apparently they are having a Star Wars weekend sales there, most likely to coincide with the hype surrounding the upcoming Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.

There was even a promotion going on: when you purchased more than RM 200 worth of LEGO Star Wars stuff, you’ll get a chance to build a mini X-Wing vs TIE Fighter diorama on site.

Naturally, kids and collectors alike surrounded the booth eagerly, many amassed a number of LEGO Star Wars products on hand…

I saw a lady grabbed a total of four sets of the buildable Darth Vader, which I remembered watching the review video on YouTube some time back. It is an impressive figure so to speak, I thought I should get one for myself. =w=

Unfortunately, a brief search through the promotion area yielded no result, the said set nowhere to be found at all. Disappointed I had to resign and head towards the cinema for the movie.

After enjoying the said movie (Feels a lot like a Disney movie due to its constant unexplained time skips and sudden musical sequences, as well as rather strange “search your true feelings” scenes…), I went back to the store for a round 2, just to pass time before my pick-up vehicle arrives.

To my delight I found the LEGO Star Wars 75111 Darth Vader set sitting there at an obscure part of the store far away from the promotion area, and is one of the two last remaining stock! Of course I grabbed the box immediately. XDc

Based upon the older concepts of the Bionicle series (Which itself utilised the versatile LEGO Technic construction series), the new Buildable Figure series lets you assemble your favourite character from various era of the Star Wars universe much like a model kit.

Currently there are six releases, including Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Captain Rex, Jango Fett, General Grievous and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Out of the six, General Grievous has to be the most awesome looking of them all in LEGO form.

Anyway, back to the set I bought, upon pouring out the contents, you’ll find three sachets of mostly black and grey LEGO parts, with a number of reds and blues in one of the sachets. A folded black fabric meant to be Vader’s cape is included as well. And of course the instruction manual.

The set took me close to an hour of assembly, which I originally thought to be a simple bash on operation with limbs-connecting and slap-on armour pieces, yet feels moderately challenging with all these smaller pieces that needed to be built into the base frame.

An overall look at the Sith Lord’s amazing stature from the front and the back (With and without his cape).

If there’s one thing that is regrettable, is the lack of a second fabric piece that wraps around the waist, that would have made the figure much more movie accurate.

Standing at a grandiose 28cm in height (Scaled at approximately 1/6, about half a Tama-chan www), here’s a close-up at them details…

Many of the socket-based snap-on armour parts are printed with superb details. No stickers are involved in this kit at all, which is a nice change from many LEGO Star Wars sets.

The bulky armour parts do make his shoulders seem broader than the movies, but it does seemingly magnify the Sith Lord’s intimidating presence. =w=

Vader’s signature helmet mask is moulded in a single piece, and is accurate in design and detailing.

Thanks to the ball joints employed within his base body, this Buildable Figure has a wide range of poseability around his neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees and ankles.

A pity at his lack of a waist swivel or joints or equivalent, that would make this figure more versatile in playability…

However, with careful placement of his movable limbs and such, you can actually stretch the limit of his articulations. w

「What is thy bidding, my Master?」

While his base frame may look skeletal at best, the snap-on armour parts really do bulk this Sith Lord up, at least moderately pleasing to the eyes while not as bony-looking as some the others of the same line like Luke Skywalker…

「You don’t know the power of the Dark Side!」

And of course Vader comes with his signature Sith weaponry, his red coloured lightsabre. Too bad there’s no storage option (Or at least a connecting part that holds the hilt in place…) on his hips.

The blade part is interesting as it’s some what harder on its tip and connecting base while the overall rod is softer…